


Abby's Adventure

by MysticBooka



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticBooka/pseuds/MysticBooka
Summary: Abigail entered the mines seeking treasure and excitement. What she found, or perhaps what found her, was not what she was expecting.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

By the faint light from the floor above, Abigail could see the room had a rough, rounded shape while loose rocks littered the ground. If there was a path or an immediate threat, then it was too dark to see. She brushed her purple hair out of her face as she lifted her necklace. She focused on the gem for a moment and the gem began to glow a soft pale yellow light as she said the elven word "Ivae." The light filled the room and she could see a single path leading into the darkness. Save the rocks that littered the floor and the makeshift staircase she had cobbled together to climb down, nothing else was in this room.

With a slight chuckle, Abigail released the breath she had been holding. No threats this time. She had been warned some of the unexplored tunnels were filled with monstrous beasts. She had her doubts, of course, for she had never seen any monsters herself. Monsters don't exist after all. Even so, she still couldn't help but hesitate anytime she came across a tunnel that wasn't already filled with magical lights.

A glimmer from one of the rocks grabbed her attention and she couldn't help but smile. She had been in the mines all morning yet all she had to show for it was a handful of copper and a bag of rocks. The fortune teller did say the spirits were displeased today but had ignored the warning. "Spirits, smear-its, looks like today is a lucky day after all" she said as she swiftly crossed the room to the glimmering rock.

With each swing of her pickaxe, the resulting clink echoed into the darkness but she didn't care. There was a gem inside this rock and she was determined to reach it. As the rock cracked open, she gasped at the prize inside. Not only was it a gem, it was an amethyst and there were two of them. "Today really is my lucky day" she said with a large smile as she scooped them up. Each amethyst was as big as her palm plus they were her favorite type of gem.

As she marveled at the gems, the sound of a rock falling echoed from behind her. Abigail caught her breath as a shiver ran down her spine in tune with the sound. She shoved the gems in her pack then drew her sword as she spun to face the sound. Before her was nothing more than the empty room and the stairs she came down on. "Show yourself" she said while scowling and tightening her grip on the sword. Abigail's sword began to shake as she looked around. The only sound she could hear now was her rapid breathing.

The sound of another rock falling echoed from down the dark path. "Come on now, come out" she shouted as she spun again. Her voice was shaky and higher-pitched than before as she felt her whole body shake. Abigail held her necklace up and away from her in an attempt to reveal more of the darkened hallway but she couldn't keep it still as her hand shook in place. Abigail ultimately decided it would be best to cut her losses and call it a day. She let the necklace fall back into place as she slung her pack back onto her back. She kept her shaking sword pointed at the dark hallway as she stepped slowly backwards towards the stairs.

Abigail's shaking stopped as her muscles tightened and a scream was caught in her throat as a low growl rumbled through her ears. She tried to turn but it was too late as the shadowy beast slammed into her. Her sword clanged to the floor as woman and beast rolled and tumbled until Abigail was pinned to the stone floor by the creature. The creature's rounded head had a hazy look to it as it snarled a mouth full of fangs. Abigail screamed out in pain as the creature sank its fangs into her shoulder while its claws dug into her chest and legs. Tears welled up in her eyes from the pain that burned throughout her body. With her free hand, she tried to bash the creature several times but each strike whiffed through the beast's body as it would swirl around her fist. Abigail felt her strength beginning to wane as the creature drank her very life force. She had to think quickly to escape this situation.

Marlon's words echoed through her mind, "Only magic can slay the monsters that prowl within the mines." On the first day she met Marlon, he had given her a magically infused blade with that warning. Abigail had explored the mines dozens of times without ever seeing a single monster so she never bothered to learn how to use it. She had begun to believe Marlon was just a crazy old man., After all, monsters aren’t real. The blade didn't even look magical and looked no different than any other sword she had ever seen in movies. She only kept the blade with her on her mining expeditions for no other reason than to stop the scolding and stern warning Marlon kept giving her whenever she was caught without it. Oh, if only she had practiced more with that blade!

Tears rolled down her face as she lost all feeling in her arm. She didn't know where the sword had fallen and she couldn't push this creature off. Through her cries of pain and struggling, she used the only arm that would still move, to pat down her body. Surely she had something to stop this creature. Her hand patted against a handle. There, she found it. She had found a magically infused dagger earlier that she had tucked away but forgotten. Even through the pain she smiled as she plunged the dagger into the beast.

The creature withdrew its fangs, arced it’s back and screeched in pain. Abigail rolled over and scrambled away. Quickly, glancing as she ran, she found the sword laying near where the gems had been. She grabbed it then turned to face this creature. The moment she saw the creature she took in a sharp breath and stepped back. It had a humanoid shape with a rounded head attached to a body that contained two legs and arms that each had hands. Each hand had long sharp claws that glistened in the light and the wide open mouth was filled with razor sharp fangs. It rose to its full height of seven feet and snarled at the woman before it. Its shadowy body flickered and swirled as it flexed. The dagger fired out of its body to clang against the cavern wall and clattered to the floor. A black ichor coated the blade. The beast's solid, milky white eyes narrowed as it growled, then screeched, at its prey.

Abigail flinched from the sound and the very floor trembled as the creature's screech reverberated throughout the room and down the hallway. Small rocks and dust fell from the ceiling to litter the room. Even with her shaking, Abigail managed to hold the sword before her and her knuckles turned white from gripping the handle so tightly. She knew she had to either kill, or trap, this beast. Even if she died with it. With the staircase she herself had placed, the creature would be able to escape and terrorize the town.

Without the creature actively gnawing on her arm, feeling had returned and her arm could move, albeit painfully. Using her injured arm, he began patting herself down while keeping her shaking blade facing the monster. Within a pocket, she felt the round object she had been seeking. She pulled the bomb out of her pocket and struck the wick across her sword causing the wick to catch on fire. "Time to die you ugly son of a bitch" and with a snarl of her own, she tossed the bomb towards the creature.

The beast dropped to all fours and half cantered, half galloped towards her while screeching. The throw was a perfect aim as the bomb whiffed right through the monster's shadowy body. The bomb exploded near the stairs and filled the room with flames. The force of the explosion rocked the entire room, as well as knocking the wind out of Abigail, as she was flung into the hallway. The beast was thrown screeching against a wall as rocks and boulders came crashing down to bury the creature alive.

Abigail slammed against the stone ground and slid several feet. Her momentum shattered some of the rocks while others cut and sliced her skin and clothes. The opening of her pack caught on one of the rocks and was ripped open while the contents spilled and scattered about. One final gurgling shriek was heard as the rocks and dust settled and Abigail lay crumpled on the cold, stone floor.

Abigail awoke coughing up a little blood as she pulled her upper body up off the floor. Her entire body ached as she pulled herself up to sit and lean up against the wall. Once positioned, she held her left side with her right arm. She kept her eyes shut as a throbbing pain pulsed through her chest with every breath she took. She finally opened her eyes to take in her surroundings, but there was no light. She reached for her necklace but it was missing. Despite the darkness, she glanced around for any hints of light. To one side of her, there was a soft blue glow in the shape of a sword. To the other, she saw another light blue glow but couldn't tell what the lump was. In front of her was the final light blue glow of a small rock.

She reached out with her boot and, after several taps, heard the sound of a chain. She slid her boot back and, after multiple attempts, dragged the chain with the glowing rock close enough for her to grab. Lifting it to her face, she stared at the glowing rock before it finally clicked and a small smile creased her face. "Ivae" she said with a rasp to her voice. As she spoke that word, the gem pulsed twice and light spilled forth, illuminating the hallway in an instant. Without any other ambient light it was, blindingly bright.

Abigail held the light above her head as she scanned the area she was now in. At the end of the hall was a wall of stones, clearly from a rock slide. At the base of the rocks was a black liquid that seeped out from under the rocks. Her pack laid in the same position as the glowing lump from before. Abigail winced in pain as she stood all the way up.

The bag was torn but it still had pockets on the outside that still worked. She looked over everything that had fallen out. A handful of copper, the two gems, a purple colored mushroom she had found just before stepping into the mine and, of course, a ton of stone. Abigail sighed at the loss of all that usable stone. With the bag ripped, there was no choice but to leave it behind. Without the bag’s magic to make it weightless, and the pockets too small for the stone to fit into, she wouldn't be able to carry any of it. So, with another heavy sigh, she shoved the copper, gems and mushroom into the pockets then slung the pack back on her back.

Abigail looked back at the black liquid. It looked the same as what was on the dagger's blade. Was the beast really dead? During the fight, it seemed as if the monster could reshape its body to dodge any physical attack she had thrown at it. If the beast did reshape itself to dodge attacks, then it clearly had limitations. She rested her hand on the stone "Thank you small dagger. You saved my life today." she said with a sigh, "Rest well".

After finding her sword, she took one last look at the rock slide. She knew right then and there that she would never see that rubble of stone again. Abigail then looked down into the long dark hallway and, with a painful deep breath, she took her first tentative step forward into the unknown.

  
  
  
  



	2. Abby's Adventure Chapter 2

The glass surface of a lake rippled to a rhythmic beat as water dripped from countless stalactites, a concert of drips that only the stone could hear. Beneath the surface, translucent fish swam up to the surface before darting back to the depths. As the lake took half the cavern, loose rocks scattered across the stone floor took the other half while long stalactites reached from the ceiling as if the very cavern itself was a ravenous maw of razor-sharp teeth. From within the darkness, the sound of steel scraping against stone echoed from a nearby tunnel, drowning out the concert of dripping water. Pale light reflected off the tunnel's curved stone walls, spilling into the cavern as a small, shining gem bobbed into view from around the corner.

A woman with purple hair followed behind the light with slow, heavy steps, breathing heavily with every step she took. She was bent over, and her arms hung by her side while a sword, resting loosely in her hand, dragged across the stone floor. Her hair was matted down from blood and sweat while her clothes were torn and spotted with holes. Her body was sore and ached while being covered in countless scratches and cuts. As she entered the cavern, her vision grew blurry as she reeled in place before finally collapsing to the sharp rocks below. Despite the stones nipping her skin, she had become numb to the pain from all the countless other times she had fallen. Abigail laid sprawled upon the floor, laboriously breathing as she faded in and out of consciousness, only her parched throat keeping her from falling unconscious entirely.

As she laid there, her thoughts wandered to her family and home, her father, running the grocery store and selling seeds to the new farmer. Her mother, in the greenhouse, tending to tea leaves or perhaps gossiping like a clucking hen to the mothers of her friends. Then, another image flashed in her mind, a serene lake surrounded with a scattering of trees set into a mountainside. She was standing under a tree while rain poured down from the sky as she played her flute. Standing under the same tree was a young man with black hair styled over his face while a cigarette hung from his mouth. A small smile graced his lips as he watched and listened to her playing her music. Back in the cavern, Abigail made a garbled sound as she tried saying his name, but her parched throat was too dry to muster anything more than a croaking noise. Her eyes tried to water, but no tears flowed as her lips cracked and bled while stretching to a grimace. She had to make it out of here, if for no other reason than to see Sebastian again.

Slowly, she moved her arms to plant her hands onto the cold stone floor. However, as she tried pushing herself up, her strength failed her, and her arms gave out as she fell back to the ground. She let out a scratchy sounding noise that was a mix between a sob and a cough as she began to cry dry tears again. A single thought then crossed her mind.

_ This is it; I'm really going to die. _

Her breathing slowed considerably, and her vision began to go black as she slowly lost feeling throughout her entire body. More memories from her childhood started flowing through her mind as she began slipping into unconsciousness. Just as her vision was completely black and her breathing had nearly stopped, her memories rippled.

_ What was that? _

Another ripple and she heard it, a loud, musical chime echoing through her mind. Several more chimes rang out and soon became the rhythmic tune of a woman dancing in the rain, a song composed just for her. Abigail rose her head as she gasped for air, hope flowing through her body, making her feel alive. Her voice faltered into a scrambled, croaking sound in her attempt to call out to the source. She grabbed her glowing pendant and tried her best to hold it up to pierce the void before her. There, within the darkness, her light reflected off a lake surface. Her cracked lips bled as her half laugh; half cry spilled out as a harsh sound from the sight before her. With renewed vigor, she left her bag and sword behind as she dragged herself to the lake to gaze at the water.

_ No edge. Oh, thank Yoba, I can reach it. _

She reached out to the water but stopped in hesitation.

_ Is this safe to drink? No, no, it doesn't matter. If I don't take the chance, I'll die anyway. _

With her last resolve gone, Abigail threw herself into the lake. The water was freezing and revitalizing all in one, and it was exhilarating. Several of the translucent fish swam up to her but darted away the moment she reached for them. She swam and broke through the surface of the lake to fill her lungs with fresh air. After a couple of more dips, she settled her arms on the edge of the lake to rest. The last thing she needed was to slip into the icy dark depths of the lake. For a moment, she rested there, half asleep, but kept awake from the freezing water. Her throat was still parched, though, so she dunked just her mouth below the surface and drank greedily. With each gulp she took, she could feel the icy water flowing through her and revitalizing her energy. As she drank, she couldn't help but think how clear and fantastic this water tasted.

Once she drank her fill, Abigail tried her best to wash off the blood and dust from her body. Without soap, it didn't go well, but at least she didn't feel as filthy as she had before. After pulling herself out of the water, she removed her now soaking wet clothes to drape over some of the larger rocks nearby. Abigail's teeth chattered, and her stomach grumbled as she dug through her backpack. During her journey since the initial fight, Abby had stumbled upon, quite literally, a handful of sticks that would make an excellent source of firewood. Once found, she cleared a spot on the floor to set them up, and, using the stones lying around, was able to strike a spark to light the wood. Once the fire was going, she grabbed her bag and sword then sat as close as she dared, hoping to at least stop the chattering.

As she sat there, she began thinking about what had all happened, tapping a finger for each point of interest "Let's see, it was a Sunday. It had been about two hours when I found the hole. It took about 5 minutes to build the staircase. It took another 5 minutes to spot and dig out the two amethysts. Then…" Her smile faded as the memory of what happened next played again. That was when that monster attacked. It was as if the creature was pure shadow, shifting to avoid every punch she threw. Only the magically infused dagger seemed to have any effect in taking the bastard down. No, that's not entirely true. As far as she could tell, the creature had died from the collapsing stone. "A shadow creature that can shift to avoid nonmagical attacks yet has limits, huh…"

Everything after that was barely a memory for her. That tunnel had felt as if it went on forever. She knew she had fallen numerous times, including a couple of times when the very ground itself collapsed under her. She looked over her body by the light of the fire. She could see countless scratches, cuts, and bruises, and yet no other significant injury was apparent. Considering how many times she fell, she knew she was lucky not to have more severe injuries. At that thought, though, a sharp pain in her side reminded her of the damaged rib.

She had no idea how long she had walked, though. She could remember, on multiple occasions, waking up screaming so clearly she must have slept several times, even if it was only from passing out due to exhaustion. She knew the monster was dead, yet it still invaded her dreams, attacking from every shadow or popping from every noise. Even now, she was exhausted, but the rumbling reminder that she needed food was keeping her awake. Food, that's right, now that she thought about it, she had stopped to eat several times as well. She sighed as her stomach angrily reminded her that too much time has passed since she last ate.

Abigail began digging through her pack again to see what little food she still had. A dark brown, misshapen carrot and the stem of a purple mushroom. At least, she thinks, and hoped, it once belonged to a purple mushroom. She couldn't recall anymore, it felt like it's been days since she initially found it, but she also remembers seeing several dangerous-looking red mushrooms during her journey. Regardless, she, more or less, had no food left. As she took a bite into the carrot, her face automatically frowned at the sharp and pungent taste of the bitter carrot. She placed both back into the bag to keep searching as she continued to chew the carrot unhappily.

As she searched, the light from the campfire sparkled on a rough surface. She found the two amethyst from before. She pulled one of the amethyst from the bag to look at it in the light of the campfire. It was a beautiful purple, and the rough surface sparkled like a thousand stars in a purple night sky.

She quickly stored the gems away once her mouth began watering while her stomach grumbled again. "Silly body, those are jokes. Literally eating the gem would not be a pleasant experience" As she finished putting away her gems, her eyes suddenly felt heavy. She tried fighting the sleep, but it was no use as she fell towards her pack. The exhaustion of everything that had happened just hit with full force, and by the time her head landed on the bag, she was already asleep.

Within the darkness of a second tunnel that connected to the same cavern, several pairs of small, beady eyes watched on. They had been observing the woman and had been waiting for the perfect moment. Hushed whispers could be heard among the shadowy figures once the woman collapsed mid-sentence and seemingly out cold. In unison, the silhouettes looked back at Abigail, laying on the ground. Not only was she unconscious, she was utterly oblivious to the creatures that now slowly approached her fallen body.


	3. Chapter 3

The aroma of freshly baked bread and roasted beef wafted through the air as Abigail began to stir. She groaned and buried her face into the furry bedding as she curled under a warm fuzzy blanket. After resting a little longer, she stretched her arms and legs while yawning and rubbing against the bedding. 

_ That was the best rest ever. I forgot how soft and amazing my bedding really is...wait a minute! _

She blinked several times as it began to dawn on her that she was, in fact, lying on a bed. She bolted upright, "I'm home-?," but her words trailed off as she took in the room. The soft glow from the television filled the room like always, but something seemed... off. The place was quiet, too quiet. She grabbed a pair of drumsticks as she crossed the room, but hesitated as she reached for the door. Her instincts were all screaming to not open the door, and after a moment of hesitation, she opened the door.

The door slowly creaked open as Abigail peaked her head through. She couldn't see any lights on, yet the bread's aroma still wafted through the air. As she slowly walked down the dark and empty hallway, she could hear a distant chanting. As she entered her living room, the repeated chant became as clear as day while, in perfect unison, several voices chanted the phrase "Mor Mhaor Ivae." 

Abigail stopped in her tracks at the Ivae. The same word she used to activate her necklace. Her curiosity peaked, her direction changed from the aroma to the source of the chanting. Abby was careful to make as little noise as possible as she approached the altar room attached to the living room's far side. As she peered in, she saw the usual Sunday churchgoers even wearing their Sunday best except this time they all had their arms up in the air as they endlessly chanted the same phrase. As her eyes spotted the altar, however, her trembling hand shot up to her mouth as she suppressed a scream. 

Yoba's altar was there, but an inky liquid bubbled and spilled over the edges. Despite this, the liquid wouldn't quite reach the floor, instead the liquid evaporated like smoke just before it would have splashed on the floor. Abigail's entire body trembled as she shook her head.

_ No, no, this isn't right _ .

However, as she began to step back, her heel slammed against the leg of a nearby nightstand. A short jolt of pain shot up her leg as she suppressed a grunt. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the vase falling from the table until it was too late. It's shattering pierced through the chanting, causing Abby to flench. She slowly looked back at the altar room, hoping against hope that their chanting kept them too preoccupied to look. Oh, how she was so wrong.

Every last villager was looking directly at her. Except, it was only their heads turned toward her. The rest of their body hadn't moved and was still facing the altar. Once she saw their faces, though, she didn't even try to hide her scream. The eyes of every last one of them were sunken, hollow voids filled with the same bubbling, oozing liquid seen on the altar. Their bodies made sickening crunching noises as first their torso twisted to face her, then their legs following suit. Abigail began screaming again and took several steps back as all the villagers, in perfect unison, began stepping towards her.

She grabbed the nightstand and flipped it to crash to the ground between the monsters and herself. As she swiftly turned and began to run, however, she slammed face-first into a chest. She winced in pain and began to fall back, but a pair of arms grabbed her in a vice-like grip. Looking up, she saw her father's face, and she screamed as she struggled to break free of his grasp. His eyes too were hallowed, and with her this close, it seemed like his very face was melting. His jaw unhinged as a shadowy maw of razor-sharp teeth began to emerge as it hissed. She leaned as far back as she could and screamed several times as she struggled against his grip.

Abby leaned back, screaming as the maw leaned in, aiming to sink its teeth into her neck when a voice rang out, accompanied by a whistling filling the air. The monster let Abigail go instantly and reared back, screeching in pain as a bolt buried itself into the monster's head. Once inside the creature, the bolt flashed, and the beast was engulfed in silver flames. The monster reached for the ceiling and began chanting the same phrase until it was nothing more than a pile of ash. Abigail had caught herself from falling entirely but could only stand there in a daze, watching the monster that was once her father burn to ash. 

The voice called out again as she was yanked through a nearby window, just as several of the zombie-like villagers had managed to slip past the fallen nightstand, piling up at the window. Abigail continued to stare into the window as another bolt whizzed past her, striking one of the creatures, erupting and engulfing them in the same silver flames. Finally, the voice managed to reach through her daze, snapping her back to reality. As she turned towards the source, her eyes brimmed up with tears as she choked out a "Sebby?"

Sebastian grabbed Abigail's arm and began to lead her away, "Come on, Abby, we have to run to the lake, they are weak to water." Abigail didn't even look back as they ran past her former father's shop. 

As the two were running past the community center, neither of them noticed the snarling, blonde-haired woman crouching within the branches of a tree. As they passed, the woman leaped from the tree, narrowly missing Sebastian and slamming into Abigail, dragging the two women to the ground. The monster that looked like Haley let out a screech then sank her teeth through clothing and flesh. Abigail cried out as she realized Sebastian had shoved his arm between Haley and herself, allowing his own arm to be bitten instead of Abigail. Sebastian grimaced in pain as he drew a dagger and plunged it into Haley's neck. The beast let go and let out a gargled scream as Sebastian shoved the body away from Abby just in time as the dagger's magic kicked in, engulfing Haley in the all too familiar silver flames. 

Abigail watched in horror as Sebastian sliced the dagger across the bite wound, then gripped his arm at his elbow. He screamed through gritted teeth as the wound erupted in the silver flames. Sebastian sat up against the tree as the fire died down, breathing heavily with his eyes shut. He felt her arms wrap around him as she sobbed into his shoulder, but, as he patted her back to comfort her, he saw in the distance more of the zombie-like villagers approaching them. Sebastian pushed Abby away while placing the dagger into her hand, he then grabbed her arm and started running down the path. "We don't have time, we have to reach the lake." 

After running across the wooden planks, Abigail stopped to pull the planks to the small island they were standing on. Once removing the planks entirely, she stood up smiling. "There, we're safe now, Sebby," but her words died to the sound of a cough and a splash. She stepped back in horror, tears filling her eyes as she saw Sebastian vomiting the black liquid. "No, no, Sebby, no!" 

Sebastian turned to Abigail, reaching out to her and stepping towards her "Quick, the dagger, kill me before it takes hold." Abigail was sobbing with tears running down her face as she held the dagger in the air, but, after a moment, she lowered her arm again, shutting her eyes and shaking her head. Sebastian's eyes melted down his face as he let out a screeching roar. The monster with Sebastian's skin leaped, slamming into Abigail, causing them both to tumble over the edge of the island and into the water's depths. 

She had expected to splash in the water right away with the surface directly below the land they had been standing on, yet they continued to fall. The monster wrapped himself around her entirely as she feebly attempted to struggle. Just as the teeth sank into the same shoulder as before, she slammed onto a hard surface. Bolting upright, she found herself entangled with a blanket. She screamed, kicked, and pushed until she was free, gasping for air before it all hit. 

Her entire body ached, especially the wound on her shoulder. She buried her face into her hands and began sobbing, "I just want to go home." Once her sobbing became sniffles, she realized she was sitting on the floor with a blanket bunched up around her naked body. The walls, floor, and roof were still stone though the roof contained several glowing crystals, illuminating the room well enough to see but no so bright to be bothersome. The aroma of the freshly baked bread and fresh roast beef still wafted through the air. Beside her was a long stone slab with several furs and what looked to be a makeshift pillow on top. There was another fur rug lying on the floor between her and the entrance of this stone chamber. The portal itself had a large tarp hanging from a horizontally placed stone pole covering the opening. A table carved from stone, with two stone chairs, sat in a corner while a metal tankard with a small glass chalice rested upon the table. Neatly folded and resting beside the flask was her clothing. 

Keeping the blanket held in one hand, Abigail propped her arm on the slab and pulled herself up, wincing in pain as her body screamed at her to lay back down. Keeping the blanket to her chest to cover her body, she painfully shuffled over and picked up the clothing to inspect it. Not only was it clean, patchwork on all the tears could be seen. She glanced over at the tarp, stared for a moment, and then, reluctantly, dropped the blanket to the floor to change slowly, yet painfully. Once dressed, she examined the room overall. Nothing else was here except a tapestry hanging on the wall over the head of the stone slab. Even her sword, necklace, and pack were all missing.

Examining the tapestry, she could see it was expertly woven. On the right side were dozens of bearded figures, all wielding weapons of various kinds and all facing the left in defensive positions as if they were holding their ground. The colors on this half of the tapestry were bright and welcoming. In front of the figures were various fortifications also facing to the left. The further left her eyes traveled, the darker and harsher the colors grew until the left half was nothing but darker colors. Abigail gasped and stepped back as the entire left half was utterly swarming with shadowy monstrous figures. A few of them even looked similar to the beast she had fought back in the tunnel. "What in the world?" She stepped back up to inspect the monsters again. The fact there were so many of them terrified her. Back in the tunnel, she had nearly died to just one, and yet, these few dozen warriors were standing their ground against a swarm of the nasty creatures.

Abigail was so absorbed in the tapestry that she hadn't heard the tarp's rustle over the door. She suppressed a scream and nearly leaped out of her skin when a clearing throat echoed through the room. Abby quickly pivoted, fists in the air, and one foot in front. Weapon or no, she wasn't going down without a fight. Before her was a short, stocky figure with a large bushy red beard and an oversized horned helmet.

The dwarf rose his gloved hand as if he was going to wave but stopped right by his face as he stared up at the purple-haired woman before him. Abigail quickly glanced around but finally relaxed once she realized he wasn't moving any further. Slowly, she too rose her hand to be beside her own face. A big toothy grin crossed his beard as he stepped one foot to the side and stretched his gloved hand in a waving arc. As he did so, a deep, booming voice rattled the chalice behind him with a bellowing "Lali-Ho!" 

Abigail blinked at him as he stood there, arm stretched out, with an overly broad grin plastered on his face. The two of them stood there in silence as they kept this pose before she finally, and slowly, arched her own hand accompanied with her own hesitant "Lali-ho." As she did so, the dwarf's smile faded, his arms dropped to his side as he tilted his head back and, with a deep breath, let out a heavy sigh. He placed his fists on his hips as he shook his head and mumbled something Abigail couldn't understand. As the stout man spoke, he first tapped his chest then motioned up and away from his body. When speaking, specific words were clearly emphasized; yet, Abigail still couldn't understand. The dwarf then puffed up his chest as he took in a deep breath then performed the same motion with a voice so loud that Abigail could feel the vibrations through her bare feet. 

Though she couldn't understand a word he said, Abigail could tell he wanted her to try again. So with a quick sigh, she took a deep breath, stepped to the side and rose her arm high, and shouted, "Lali-Ho!" The dwarf before her smiled broadly, said a few more words while giving her a thumbs up. He again motioned for her to follow as he turned and pushed his way through the tarp in this room's opening. After he left, Abby stood there staring at the door, hesitant to go, at least until the bearded head popped back through the tarp, said a few more words, then disappeared again. She stepped up to the doorway and grabbed the tarp but hesitated as she looked back to the now empty room. As Abby stood there, the same aroma of the freshly baked bread and roast beef from her dream wafted through the openings between the tarp and stone. Her stomach rumbled, sweet Yoba she was starving. 

_ Oh, to hell with it, he seems friendly enough. _

With that final revelation, she turned her back to the room, shoved the tarp to the side, and boldly took her first step. A tunnel ran from left to right with a railroad track running right down the middle. Across from her in the other wall, she could see countless openings covered in tarps running up and down the tunnel. Occasionally, a minecart would woosh past. As she followed the dwarf who waddled in front, she began noticing that some of the carts were empty while others were full of rocks. Some of them even had other dwarves, all of which looked identical with their horned helms and big bushy beards. The only real difference she could see was that all the beards were of various colors and hues, not just natural hair colors either, with plenty of hot pinks and blues among them. 

After passing a dozen doorways, they came across a station filled with carts. Various dwarves milled about, some waiting in lines while others climbed out of carts to go about their day. As they queued for their turn, the dwarves ahead of them would have a card stamped by a green bearded dwarf before climbing into a cart. Green beard would then pull a lever, sending the cart off down the track. Abigail began shuffling about during their wait as she started noticing all the other dwarves glancing at her and whispering. Some of them were even pointing though none of them called out or tried to approach her. The red-bearded dwarf that she had followed would narrow his eyes and scowl at any who dare draw near. 

As they finally reached the front of the line, Green beard aimed their stamp at the Red beard and began shouting at him. Abby was surprised to hear the voice had a higher pitch and sounded more feminine that would better suit a woman, especially compared to the gruffer male voice of Red beard. Her voice's tone was also incredibly angry as she berated Red beard. He jumped back in shock, then began waving his arms and shaking his head as he stammered back to Green beard. Abby could hear other dwarves nearby snickering at the obvious berating he was receiving. Finally, Green beard hopped on the desk and slammed her stamp onto his forehead, sending him falling to the ground leaving a red-letter within a cancel sign right on his face.

Red beard grumbled as he stood up while pulling a pouch off his belt and tossed it on the table. Green beard rolled her eyes as they opened and tipped the bag over. Several silver and gold coins clattered across the table; however, all of the dwarves took a sharp breath when a small, beautiful diamond fell out of the bag. As everyone stood in stunned silence, the Red beard cried out and quickly lunged for the diamond. Green beard broke out of her awe and slammed her fists onto his helmet, sending him crashing to the ground. She quickly pocketed the diamond then shoved all the coins back into the bag to toss down onto Red beard's crumpled body. After standing, Red beard began talking to her again, but she gave him a glare that silenced him instantly. Green beard then motioned towards the cart as she smiled and spoke with the sweetest voice Abby had heard all day. Red beard sighed heavily as he slumped his shoulders, then shuffled his way into the cart with Abby following close behind. 

The wind whipped through Abigail's hair as the cart flew down the tracks. Minutes later, the tracks exited the tunnel into a massive cavern as bright as a cloudy day. Intricately carved buildings and statues dotted the cavern. At the same time, hundreds of dwarven figures filled the cobbled streets as they went about their day while above and below, dozens of tracks crisscrossed throughout the cavern connecting to numerous stations and leading to tunnels while countless minecarts traversed them. In the center of town stood the tallest of the statues depicting a muscular bearded fellow with a horned helmet that looked the same as all the others. He held a shield in one hand while the other held a brightly glowing crystal high above his head as it bathed the entire city with light. 

The cart slowed to a stop in a bustling station brimming with dwarves coming and going. Abigail frowned and shuffled close to Red beard as a sea of multicolored beards, and many beady eyes, all stopped what they were doing to stare at the girl who towered over them. She could hear whispering as they plowed their way through the crowd of gawkers. Red beard scowled at any who dare step close though, as he did so, Abigail couldn't help but keep her gaze downward, avoiding all eye contact while twirling the tips of her hair. 

After breaking free of the crowd, they walked for several minutes past several stone buildings. Abigail blocked out all the gaping stares as she marveled at the beautiful carvings etched into the walls and pillars as they passed by. She paused and gulped once Red Beard climbed a flight of steps leading to a magnificent building much older than any other building they had passed. As she stood there, though, something deep within her began to stir, making her feel off. Something wasn't right. As she looked around, dozens of dwarves staring at her were now crowding around her, pressing ever closer. Without her guide to scare them off, they had grown bolder and now surrounded her all while chatting away, clearly asking her questions she couldn't understand. Abigail shuffled and fidgeted while frantically looking around her, all while still feeling uneasy. Finally, she saw a break in the crowd by the steps, so she leaped to the stairs and ran up them, bounding several of the dwarven made steps at a time. 

Once inside the dimly lit building, Abby's guide grabbed her arm with a frown then dragged her through a tarp into a room where a bright light was beaming onto a single, small stone table with a pitcher and a glass on top. Hushed whispering filled the room as Red beard lead her to the table, then stepped away from the light, leaving her alone in this room's center. Other than this one bright location, the rest of the room was dark. Abby squinted, but the best she could make out was railing of some kind with multiple shapes moving about on both the left and ride sides of the room. Abby fidgeted and shuffled as the uneasiness filled her again. The whispering came to an abrupt stop when a soft glow appeared in front of her. Three white-bearded dwarves sat behind three podiums. They each held a gnarled staff of their own with a glowing crystal set at the top. 

They tapped their staves in some sort of sequence before speaking with booming voices wethered with age. As they spoke, another light beamed onto another table where Abby's bag, necklace, and sword sat resting. Several gasps filled the air at the sight of the items. One of the old dwarves used his staff to lift the necklace, holding it high in the air as he made some kind of proclamation. As he did so, Red beard shouted as he ran forward, but several guards grabbed him, dragging him to the ground. Other guards lifted their polearms and aimed them at Abigail as they all scowled. Abby's heart rate shot through the roof as the guards all readied their weapons while one approached with shackles.

Abigail grabbed the table as all her muscles tensed. Tears filled her eyes, and her vision began to blur. "W-wait, please don't-" but as she began to plead for her life, she began to cough mid-sentence. A black, ink-like substance began to spill from her mouth with each cough. Her bandages also began to stain with black ink. She fell, leaning over the table and sending the pitcher and glass to shatter on the stone floor below. Several glowing gems flashed, illuminating the room as dozens of dwarves all leaped and scurried around, shouting and pointing fingers as they ran in and out of the room.

The three old dwarves jumped over the podiums, landing in front of her. They slammed their staves into the stone floor, glowing cracks spreading through the stone as they began chanting. A twirling, almost liquid looking greenish-blue light spilled from each stave as it began pooling in mid-air above Abby. Red beard broke free during the commotion, punching several of the guards as he ran to Abby's side. Drawing his ax, he slammed the flat of the blade across the back of her head, sending her sprawling to the floor completely unconscious. 


End file.
